Dust off your fadeaway jumper, "NBA 2K13" is taking you closer to the pros than ever before.

Already the undisputed king of the video-game hardwood, developer Visual Concepts isn't resting on its laurels with this year's edition. Minor gameplay tweaks and a major single-player overhaul make "NBA 2K13" ($60; PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360) the best basketball simulation yet.

The meat and potatoes of 2K's appeal remain largely unchanged. The graphics are gorgeous — right down to accurate player tattoos — and playing online is an absolute blast. Gamers can once again tackle opponents for a one-game showdown, or form multiplayer association leagues for season-long rivalries.

Assigning control of dribbling techniques to the right thumbstick makes an already responsive control scheme even better. Spinning around defenders and creating space for a pull-up jumper feel more natural than ever.

Also returning are classic NBA stars, including the Olympic Dream Team. However, this edition does away with the historical mode from previous years.

The biggest improvements to "2K13" come in My Career mode, in which gamers create a player from scratch and guide him to NBA stardom. There's an impressive amount of customization at your fingertips right from the outset. You'll be able to choose your future superstar's appearance, style of play and dozens of shooting animations.

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After playing the Rookie Showcase game to show off his skills, you'll hear your player's name called in the NBA draft and watch him battle for playing time against real-world stars. The better you perform, the more minutes you're likely to see next game.

Playing well and reaching career milestones builds virtual currency (VC), which can be spent upgrading countless aspects of your player. You'll be able to pick his pre-game attire, upgrade crucial attributes and earn specials skills, like being a lock-down defender or hustling after loose balls.

Every successful in-game action slightly raises your teammate rank, while bungled plays drop it down a notch. The higher your rank at the end of the game, the more confident your teammates will be in your abilities, and the more VC you'll earn.

It's rewarding to see the meter creep up with a clutch steal or slam dunk. I was often frustrated, however, to pass the ball in traffic to a teammate who hit the ensuing shot, only to see my score penalized for a "bad pass." Worse yet, in these instances I also wasn't given credit for the assist on my stats.

With Jay-Z signed on as executive producer, "NBA 2K13" dials up every aspect of its presentation. You'll see pre-game music videos spliced with highlight reels. At halftime, cheerleaders and mascots firing T-shirt cannons rush the court to entertain fans. They may be small additions, but the little touches add to an incredibly immersive overall experience.

In-game commentary accurately reflects the on-court action, but player anecdotes are repeated ad nauseam over the course of the season. If I have to hear the history of Anthony Davis' unibrow one more time, I'm going to unplug my speakers.

After each game, your star attends a press conference and is asked questions by the media based on his on-court performance. Choose your answers carefully. Bragging about your abilities may earn you plenty of fans, but you risk alienating your teammates and hurting your in-game chemistry.

As you ascend to stardom, you'll gain virtual Twitter followers eager to let you know how they feel about your most recent performance. Soon enough, you'll be designing your own shoes and see your face plastered on billboards throughout your home city.

All of the money you earn, from your pro contract to endorsement deals, comes in the form of VC. This is crucial because it ties actual value to these otherwise abstract deals. You'll want to squeeze every last drop out of your next contract negotiation so you can keep upgrading your skills.

One drawback is that you must be connected to the game's servers at all times to accrue VC points. Any dropped connection can erase your current game's progress.

"NBA 2K13" might not represent a major leap forward for the franchise; the on-court action remains largely unchanged from last year. It's a fresh coat of paint on a proven formula, however, and still the best basketball game in town.